Substance or rule
Ashwagandha leaves prohibited in ASU products and food (Apr 2026)
Last checked 10 October 2026
Ashwagandha leaves in crude, extract or any other form are strictly prohibited in ASU products under the Ministry of AYUSH letter of 15 Apr 2026, and FSSAI's advisory of 16 Apr 2026 applies the same to food products and health supplements; only the root is permitted.
- Classification
- Prohibited under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 (ASU and homoeopathic provisions)
- Decided by
- Ministry of AYUSH; FSSAI
- Reference
- Ministry of AYUSH letter of 15 Apr 2026, file T-13020/4/2022-DCC-Part(2); FSSAI advisory of 16 Apr 2026, F. No. RCD-15001/11/2021
- Latest action
- 16 April 2026
- Last checked
- 10 October 2026
Photo: Ashwagandha Roots.jpg by Piyush Kothari (CC BY-SA 4.0). All photo credits.
FSSAI advisory on non use of ashwagandha leaves in food products, reproducing the Ministry of AYUSH letter of 15 Apr 2026
Scope. A record here does not by itself mean a product or company is unsafe or banned today. Regulatory actions can apply to one batch, one formulation, one period or one state. Always check the linked government document for the current position, and tell us if something is out of date. How we label records.
Below: Blacklisted's explanationWe organise and explain what the document says. The document above is the authority.
Key facts
- Prohibited
- Ashwagandha leaves in crude, extract or any other form
- Permitted
- The root only
- AYUSH letter
- 15 Apr 2026, file T-13020/4/2022-DCC-Part(2), reproduced in the FSSAI advisory
- FSSAI advisory
- 16 Apr 2026, F. No. RCD-15001/11/2021: the same position for food products and health supplements
- Earlier steps
- A 2024 safety dossier and an advisory of 6 Oct 2021 (L.11011/9/2021-DCC), both cited in the letter
In a letter of 15 Apr 2026 the Ministry of AYUSH said that ashwagandha leaves in crude form, as an extract or in any other form are strictly prohibited in ayurvedic, siddha and unani products, and that only the root is permitted. The letter cites a 2024 safety dossier and an earlier advisory of 6 Oct 2021.
FSSAI reproduced the letter in an advisory dated 16 Apr 2026 and extended the prohibition to food products and health supplements. The documents name no brand and do not describe enforcement against any product.
What this means for you
Check the label for the part used
Root is within the rules. Leaf, leaf extract or whole-plant claims are what the letter targets.
No product named
The documents we read name no brand and announce no enforcement against any product.
This is a record of official orders, not medical advice. Do not stop a prescribed medicine without asking your doctor or pharmacist.
Common questions
Is the ashwagandha root banned?
No. Only the root is permitted in ASU products.
Official sources and primary records
- FSSAI advisory on non use of ashwagandha leaves in food products, reproducing the Ministry of AYUSH letter of 15 Apr 2026RegulatorFSSAI · 16 April 2026